Pacific nation devastated by historic Cyclone Pam FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Pacific nation devastated by historic Cyclone Pam Communities are in a shambles, communications remain near zero and access to clean water is a challenge on remote Pacific islands in the Vanuatu archipelago less than two days after Cyclone blasted through the Post to Facebook Pacific nation devastated by historic Cyclone Pam Communities are in a shambles, communications remain near zero and access to clean water is a challenge on remote Pacific islands in the Vanuatu archipelago less than two days after Cyclone blasted through the Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 13 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Pacific nation devastated by historic Cyclone Pam John Bacon and Doug Stanglin , USA TODAY Published 9:44 a.m. ET March 15, 2015 | Updated 2:46 p.m. ET March 15, 2015 CLOSE x Share A massive cyclone tore through Port Vila, Vanuatu early Saturday leaving two confirmed dead.

Relief workers expect the death count to rise dramatically once communication is restored. (March 15) AP A handout photo provided by UNICEF Pacific on 15 March 2015 shows a resident clearing debris from his home in Vanuatu on 15 March 2015. (Photo: Graham Crumb/ UNICEF PACIFIC / HANDOUT, EPA) 1259 CONNECT TWEET 2 LINKEDIN 13 COMMENTEMAILMORE Communities were in a shambles, communications remained near zero and access to clean water was a severe challenge Sunday on the Vanuatu archipelago almost two days after Cyclone Pam blasted through the remote South Pacific island chain, the International Red Cross said Sunday. Estimates on the death toll varied widely, with some officials reporting at least six dead while unconfirmed reports put the death toll at more than 40. The immense devastation, damage to the communications systems and remote nature of the chain of 65 inhabited islands made damage assessments of the tragedy difficult.

Pacific Red Cross chief Aurelia Balpe told The Australian that a pilot flew over the islands, reporting that on the southern island of Tanna many buildings were destroyed and even concrete buildings no longer had roofs. The southern end of the chain appeared to take the most direct hit. "What he told me is that he could land — that was the first positive," Balpe told the Australian. "But as they flew in and out they saw lots of trees uprooted and, what was most striking, all corrugated iron structures were destroyed as far as they eye could see. CLOSE x Share Winds from an extremely powerful cyclone that blew through the Pacific's Vanuatu archipelago were beginning to subside on Saturday, revealing widespread destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths. (March 14) AP Cyclone Pam, possibly the worst cyclone in the Pacific's history, slammed into Vanuatu late Friday. Wind speeds of more than 165 mph made Pam a Category 5 storm. Vanuatu, about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, has a population of 267,000.

About 34,000 living on Tanna and tiny nearby islands at the southern end of the chain. But the entire nation appeared to be devastated. The New Zealand Herald reported that 90% of homes Port Vila, with a population of almost 50,000, were damaged or destroyed. "The immediate concern is for a very high death toll but also an enormous amount of destruction," Sune Gudnitz, regional director for the UN's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA), told Reuters. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. A boy plays in a banana plantation destroyed by Cyclone Pam on March 19 in Mele, Vanuatu. The Category 5 storm struck on March 14, causing widespread damage on many islands in the South Pacific nation. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Students salvage items from their damaged classroom at the Lenakel Presbyterian School on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Village chief Philip Kasamu sits on a destroyed hut on Tanna island. Nick Perry, AP Women wash clothes in a stream on Tanna island.

Nick Perry, AP Mercy Watskalholds her grandaughter Angelina Watskal at the Enima Evacuation Center on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A boy waits as villagers listen to information at the Enima Evacuation Center on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A villager walks through a damaged classroom on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency People dry clothing at the Catholic French school Lycee De Montmartre near Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A woman works in a damaged building at the Lycee De Montmartre school. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A woman looks at her destroyed home on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Residents pass a home damaged by Cyclone Pam on March 18 on Tanna island, Vanuatu. Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A building was destroyed in Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Books recovered from a destroyed school dry in the sun in Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A mother and her child view damage on March 17 after Cyclone Pam destroyed their village in Taunono, Vanuatu.

UNICEF via Getty Images A mother sits with her child outside their damaged home in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Cyclone Pam damage in the port at Port Vila. UNICEF via Getty Images Australian doctors administer medical aid to a young girl on Tanna. Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A boy walks past a damaged home on Tanna. Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A family in the Nikinini community in Port Vila lost all their belongings during the storm. UNICEF via Getty Images A shantytown area of Port Vila was heavily damaged by Cyclone Pam. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images The Taunono community was destroyed by Cyclone Pam. UNICEF via Getty Images People grieve as they transport the body of Eddy Willy, who was killed during Cyclone Pam, on Tanna island, Vanuatu. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Local residents walk along a road on Tanna. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Lana Silona prepares food with her son, Costello, in front of their ruined home on Tanna. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A woman sits outside her damaged home in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Jeremey Pier, AFP/Getty Images Children play in the debris in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images People try to repair a damaged bridge in Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen epa04665481 Workers commence the repair of a gaping hole in the side of 'The Big Sista' after it was struck by another boat during tropical cyclone Pam in Port Vila, Vanuatu, 17 March 2015. Whole villages have been blown away and homes have been flattened after Cyclone Pam ripped through the Pacific Island nation. The UN has unconfirmed reports that the cyclone has killed 44 people in one province alone and Oxfam says the destruction in Port Vila is massive, with 90 per cent of houses damaged. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT ORG XMIT: VAN Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agenc Residents repair their homes in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Residents clean up their homes in Port Vila.

Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images An Australian RAAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft is filled with supplies during an aid flight to Port Vila. Dave Hunt, AFP/Getty Images A boy plays with a ball as his father searches through their destroyed home in Port Vila on March 16. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Hundreds of homes were damaged by the cyclone. Dave Hunt, AP Uwen Garae surveys his destroyed house in Port Vila. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Clothes are placed on the ground to dry at the home of Adrian Banga. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Adrian Banga surveys his destroyed home. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Children make their way amid rubble in a street in Vanuatu on March 15. This storm is the worst tropical cyclone on record in the South Pacific. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Vanuatu Red Cross President Hannington Alatoa speaks at the third U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai. Toshifumi Kitamura, AFP/Getty Images Privates load camp beds and tents into a French army logistical transport plane in New Caledonia bound for Vanuatu.

Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A warning sign stands on a road damaged by Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu island. UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency More devastation by Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu. UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency A woman removes debris from a home. UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency Troops put food and water supplies onto a pallet for aid relief to be loaded into a French Army logistical transport plane bound for Vanuatu. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Residents clean their homes after the devastation. Graham Crumb,UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency People look at boats and yachts damaged by Cyclone Pam on March 14 in a harbor on Vanuatu. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Huge waves generated by Cyclone Pam slam into a seawall on Vanuatu. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Residents take shelter as floodwaters move inland on Tuvalu island in the Vanuatu archipelago. Plan International Australia via Getty Images Debris covers the area on Kiribati Island.

Plan International Australia via Getty Images People search for belongings in Port Vila on Vanuatu. AP People salvage personal items after the storm in Port Vila. Isso Nihemi, 350.org, via AP The storm left debris scattered across a beach on Kiribati island. Plan International Australia via Getty Images A man watches the ocean on Anse Vata near Noumea, New Caledonia. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images People remove items from a flooded area on Tuvalu Island. Plan International Australia via Getty Images Debris is scattered on a street in Port Vila. UNICEF Pacific via AP The cyclone damaged homes and businesses in Port Vila. Isso Nihemi, 350.org, via AP Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Category 5 Cyclone Pam Devastates Vanuatu - The Atlantic The Atlantic 22 Photos In Focus Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu late on March 13, packing wind gusts of up to 320 kilometers (200 miles) an hour, causing widespread damage in the archipelago nation in the South Pacific Ocean.

Vanuatu's President Baldwin Lonsdale called the storm a "monster" that killed dozens, destroyed or damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the capital, and will force the nation to start anew. International aid agencies began emergency flights on Tuesday to some of the remote outer islands of Vanuatu, which they fear have been devastated. Officials are warning that Vanuatu now faces imminent food shortages, as aid agencies described conditions as among the most challenging they have ever faced. WPRO | Vanuatu: Tanna Island devastated by Tropical Cyclone Pam Vanuatu: Tanna Island devastated by Tropical Cyclone Pam News release WHO/A. Craig PORT VILA, 19 March 2015 - It has been five days since Cyclone Pam unleashed her devastation on the south Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. While life is returning to normal in the capital, Port Vila, the true impact on outlying islands is only now becoming clear. Yesterday, Mr George Worwor, the WHO-supported surveillance focal point in the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, returned from the ravaged island of Tanna, in the south of Vanuatu.

Tanna, an island with a population of approximately 32 000, was one of the worst affected by the Category 5 cyclone’s wrath. “Lenakel hospital (the provincial hospital on Tanna) is seriously damaged,” Mr Worwor said. “The hospital is functioning although at a severely diminished capacity. The maternity ward, the paediatric ward and surgical sections of the hospital are currently unusable. The hospital’s small stock room was flooded and the facility is running low on essential medicines,” Mr Worwor reported. The hospital lacks clean water and is running low on fuel. “In the coming weeks and months, the health needs of the population of Tanna will be significant,” said Dr Jacob Kool, WHO Country Liaison Officer to Vanuatu. “We need to be aware that the risk of infectious disease outbreaks is elevated in post-disaster situations, particularly in settings with severely limited ability to respond and lack of available water.” WHO is assisting the Ministry of Health to re-establish the surveillance system for early detection of infectious diseases outbreak and other public health threats in Tanna and other islands in Vanuatu—a system impaired by the cyclone.

“Re-establishment of the early warning surveillance system to detect outbreak-prone diseases as early as possible is critically important,” Dr Kool said. “Identifying and responding to outbreaks as early as we can will minimize the impacts they have on the population and the already overstretched health system." The WHO Country Liaison Office in Vanuatu is being supported by WHO’s Division of Pacific Technical Support in Fiji, the Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila and by WHO headquarters in Geneva to deploy public health teams to the cyclone-affected nation. “This disaster is the biggest Vanuatu has ever experienced and recovery will likely take many months,” said WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Shin Young-soo. “It is a long road ahead for the people of Vanuatu and WHO will be here supporting the Ministry of Health throughout.” For further information, please contact: Mr Adam Craig Information and Communications Officer Telephone: +678 775 3234 Email: craiga@wpro.who.int Mr Ryan Baker Risk Communications Consultant, Division of Health Security and Emergencies Telephone: +632 528 9986 Email: bakerr@wpro.who.int Mr Ruel E.

Serrano Assistant, Public Information Office Telephone: +632 528 9993 Email: serranor@wpro.who.int Share Before and after cyclone Pam | Earth | EarthSky Before and after cyclone Pam By Eleanor Imster in Earth | Science Wire | March 30, 2015 Views from above, before and after cyclone Pam devastated the island nation of Vanuatu earlier this month. Photo credit: William Dyer Cyclone Pam was a Category 5 storm when it struck the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific on March 13 and 14, 2015. Pam tore down miles of dense foliage, stripped vegetation, and coated leaves in damaging salt spray, turning lush green landscapes brown. Two of the hardest hit islands were Tanna and Erromango. On March 17 — three days after the storm hit — NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite acquired images, which compared with earlier images of the same islands, show the widespread effects of the storm. According to scientists from Tropical Storm Risk , the island of Erromango likely faced the most severe winds.

Their analysis suggests that Erromango saw gusts up to 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour. Before Pam, Erromango appeared dark green due its lush tropical vegetation. Vanuatu cyclone: First aid reaches islands ravaged by Pam - BBC News BBC News Vanuatu cyclone: First aid reaches islands ravaged by Pam 15 March 2015 Close share panel Media captionThe President of Vanuatu, Baldwin Lonsdale, described Cyclone Pam as "a monster" Aid is beginning to arrive in Vanuatu after the Pacific island nation was hit by a cyclone which President Baldwin Lonsdale described as a "monster". Air force planes arrived with supplies from Australia and New Zealand, and other countries have pledged to help. Aerial images of the capital Port Vila show many houses completely flattened. A communications blackout means little is known about conditions beyond the capital but a pilot saw similar devastation in outlying islands. His voice breaking, President Lonsdale told the BBC that Cyclone Pam had destroyed most buildings in Port Vila, including schools and clinics.

A state of emergency has been declared in the tiny state of 267,000 people, spread over 65 islands. Media captionBritish doctor Carina Smith describes how healthcare facilities have been damaged At least eight people are confirmed to have died, but the death toll is expected to rise sharply as rescuers reach outlying islands. Aid from Australia and New Zealand has begun to reach the island. Australia has pledged A$5 million (£2.5m; $3.8m) in assistance and the UK has pledged £2 million (A$3.9m; $2.9m). France, UN and European Union have also promised help. The category five storm, with winds of up to 300km/h (185mph), veered off its expected course and struck populated areas when it reached Vanuatu early on Saturday local time (+11 GMT). It is now moving towards New Zealand, and though it has weakened, severe weather warnings have been issued for parts of the country.

'Moments of terror' Port Vila's airport was damaged in the cyclone and was closed to commercial flights until Monday, but the first planes carrying aid supplies were able to land on Sunday, Paolo Malatu, co-ordinator for the National Disaster Management Office, told AP news agency. He said officials were planning to fly out to outlying islands on Monday to assess the damage. Image copyright CARE Australia/Tom Perry Image caption Aerial image taken by Care Australia's Tom Perry as he flew into Port Vila shows flattened houses "The wind was [so] strong that the shutters of the window broke off and... the glass windows smashed on the floor," allowing the rain to pour in, a Port Vila resident identified as Jayleen told AP. President Lonsdale was on Sunday said to be trying to return home from a disaster risk conference he had been attending in Japan when the cyclone hit. He made an impassioned plea for international help. "I am speaking to you today with a heart that is so heavy," he said.

"I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and the people to give a helping hand in this disaster." Media captionCyclone Pam has been compared with Typhoon Haiyan in strength, as Phil Mercer reports In a statement on Sunday , Oxfam Australia said up to 90% of housing in Port Vila had reportedly been seriously damaged. "This is likely to be one of the worst disasters ever seen in the Pacific," said Oxfam's Colin Collet van Rooyen in Port Vila. "The scale of humanitarian need will be enormous." Immediate priorities, he said, were providing shelter, clean water and sanitation. A UN disaster assessment team is due to arrive in Vanuatu in the coming hours. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Many houses not built with concrete have been flattened Image copyright AFP Image caption Infrastructure is badly damaged Image copyright AFP/Care/Inga Mepham Image caption A photo taken on Saturday shows storm waves lashing Port Vila's coastline Image copyright AFP Image caption Many residents who survived the storm will find they have little left "It's devastation out there," said Carina Smith, a British doctor on holiday in Vanuatu at the time the cyclone struck. "Buildings, trees, power lines are down.

Water isn't running clean from taps any more so there's a concern about contamination," she told the BBC. There was "severe damage" to the hospital in Port Vila, she added. Media captionPam, one of the most powerful storms in history, is now close to north-east New Zealand, as Philip Avery reports. Unconfirmed reports on Saturday said 44 people had died in Penama province in the north-east of Vanuatu, according to the UN's Office for the Co-ordination for Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA). Pam had already caused major damage on other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Tuvalu, a group of nine tiny islands north-east of Vanuatu, also declared a state of emergency after the cyclone caused flash floods there. Vanuatu president: Cyclone Pam was 'a monster' FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Vanuatu president: Cyclone Pam was 'a monster' The president of Vanuatu has described the devastating cyclone that blasted through the South Pacific island chain as "a monster" that has wiped out development.

Post to Facebook Vanuatu president: Cyclone Pam was 'a monster' The president of Vanuatu has described the devastating cyclone that blasted through the South Pacific island chain as "a monster" that has wiped out development. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Vanuatu president: Cyclone Pam was 'a monster' Jane Onyanga-Omara , USA TODAY Published 6:00 a.m. ET March 16, 2015 | Updated 3:18 p.m. ET March 16, 2015 CLOSE x Share A massive cyclone tore through Port Vila, Vanuatu early Saturday leaving two confirmed dead. Relief workers expect the death count to rise dramatically once communication is restored. (March 15) AP Samuel kicks a ball as his father searches through the ruins in what remained of their family home in Port Vila.

(Photo: Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency) The president of Vanuatu has described the devastating cyclone that blasted through the South Pacific island chain as "a monster" that killed at least 24 people and left 3,300 displaced, according to the United Nations. Cyclone Pam, possibly the worst cyclone in the Pacific's history, slammed into Vanuatu late Friday, with wind speeds of more than 165 mph, making it a Category 5 storm. At its peak, Pam's 165 mph winds made it one of only ten Category 5 storms on record in the waters east of Australia, according to the Weather Underground. It's also only the second Cat 5 in recorded history to make landfall on a populated island in that area. Thousands have been left homeless, and 90% of the buildings in the capital were destroyed or damaged, President Baldwin Lonsdale said. Pacific nation devastated by historic Cyclone Pam Lonsdale appealed for international aid and told the AP: "This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster. "It's a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu.

After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out." He said he could not reach his family due to the breakdown in communications. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. A boy plays in a banana plantation destroyed by Cyclone Pam on March 19 in Mele, Vanuatu. The Category 5 storm struck on March 14, causing widespread damage on many islands in the South Pacific nation. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Students salvage items from their damaged classroom at the Lenakel Presbyterian School on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Village chief Philip Kasamu sits on a destroyed hut on Tanna island. Nick Perry, AP Women wash clothes in a stream on Tanna island. Nick Perry, AP Mercy Watskalholds her grandaughter Angelina Watskal at the Enima Evacuation Center on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A boy waits as villagers listen to information at the Enima Evacuation Center on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A villager walks through a damaged classroom on Tanna island.

Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency People dry clothing at the Catholic French school Lycee De Montmartre near Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A woman works in a damaged building at the Lycee De Montmartre school. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A woman looks at her destroyed home on Tanna island. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Residents pass a home damaged by Cyclone Pam on March 18 on Tanna island, Vanuatu. Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A building was destroyed in Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Books recovered from a destroyed school dry in the sun in Port Vila. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A mother and her child view damage on March 17 after Cyclone Pam destroyed their village in Taunono, Vanuatu. UNICEF via Getty Images A mother sits with her child outside their damaged home in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Cyclone Pam damage in the port at Port Vila. UNICEF via Getty Images Australian doctors administer medical aid to a young girl on Tanna. Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A boy walks past a damaged home on Tanna.

Jeremy Piper, AFP/Getty Images A family in the Nikinini community in Port Vila lost all their belongings during the storm. UNICEF via Getty Images A shantytown area of Port Vila was heavily damaged by Cyclone Pam. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images The Taunono community was destroyed by Cyclone Pam. UNICEF via Getty Images People grieve as they transport the body of Eddy Willy, who was killed during Cyclone Pam, on Tanna island, Vanuatu. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Local residents walk along a road on Tanna. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency Lana Silona prepares food with her son, Costello, in front of their ruined home on Tanna. Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agency A woman sits outside her damaged home in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Jeremey Pier, AFP/Getty Images Children play in the debris in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images People try to repair a damaged bridge in Port Vila.

Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen epa04665481 Workers commence the repair of a gaping hole in the side of 'The Big Sista' after it was struck by another boat during tropical cyclone Pam in Port Vila, Vanuatu, 17 March 2015. Whole villages have been blown away and homes have been flattened after Cyclone Pam ripped through the Pacific Island nation. The UN has unconfirmed reports that the cyclone has killed 44 people in one province alone and Oxfam says the destruction in Port Vila is massive, with 90 per cent of houses damaged. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT ORG XMIT: VAN Dave Hunt, European Pressphoto Agenc Residents repair their homes in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images Residents clean up their homes in Port Vila. Jeremey Piper, AFP/Getty Images An Australian RAAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft is filled with supplies during an aid flight to Port Vila. Dave Hunt, AFP/Getty Images A boy plays with a ball as his father searches through their destroyed home in Port Vila on March 16.

Pool photo by Dave Hunt Hundreds of homes were damaged by the cyclone. Dave Hunt, AP Uwen Garae surveys his destroyed house in Port Vila. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Clothes are placed on the ground to dry at the home of Adrian Banga. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Adrian Banga surveys his destroyed home. Pool photo by Dave Hunt Children make their way amid rubble in a street in Vanuatu on March 15. This storm is the worst tropical cyclone on record in the South Pacific. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Vanuatu Red Cross President Hannington Alatoa speaks at the third U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai. Toshifumi Kitamura, AFP/Getty Images Privates load camp beds and tents into a French army logistical transport plane in New Caledonia bound for Vanuatu. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images A warning sign stands on a road damaged by Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu island. UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency More devastation by Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu. UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency A woman removes debris from a home.

UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency Troops put food and water supplies onto a pallet for aid relief to be loaded into a French Army logistical transport plane bound for Vanuatu. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images Residents clean their homes after the devastation. Graham Crumb,UNICEF Pacific via European Pressphoto Agency People look at boats and yachts damaged by Cyclone Pam on March 14 in a harbor on Vanuatu. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Huge waves generated by Cyclone Pam slam into a seawall on Vanuatu. Graham Crumb, UNICEF Pacific, via European Pressphoto Agency Residents take shelter as floodwaters move inland on Tuvalu island in the Vanuatu archipelago. Plan International Australia via Getty Images Debris covers the area on Kiribati Island. Plan International Australia via Getty Images People search for belongings in Port Vila on Vanuatu. AP People salvage personal items after the storm in Port Vila. Isso Nihemi, 350.org, via AP The storm left debris scattered across a beach on Kiribati island.

Plan International Australia via Getty Images A man watches the ocean on Anse Vata near Noumea, New Caledonia. Fred Payet, AFP/Getty Images People remove items from a flooded area on Tuvalu Island. Plan International Australia via Getty Images Debris is scattered on a street in Port Vila. UNICEF Pacific via AP The cyclone damaged homes and businesses in Port Vila. Isso Nihemi, 350.org, via AP Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Cyclone Pam blasts Vanuatu, first deaths confirmed - CNN.com How to help Vanuatu residents Read More "It's like a bomb has gone through," said journalist Michael McLennan, who lives in Port Vila. "It's really quite apocalyptic." Most buildings were destroyed or damaged, he told CNN on Sunday morning. Many roads are blocked by fallen trees or power lines. Hardly a tree stood straight after Pam bellowed across the South Pacific nation, where some 260,000 people live, many in flimsy homes built of thatch. Cleanup efforts are underway, according to Colin Collet van Rooyen, Oxfam country director in Vanuatu.

It appears Bauerfield International Airport will reopen Sunday afternoon for emergency flights. An Australian C-130 took off for Port Vila with emergency personnel from the defense department. The Australian air force will send two cargo planes loaded with relief supplies, the government in Canberra announced. The main objective now is to get disaster response teams into Vanuatu and kick-start the humanitarian operation, Sune Gudnitz, regional head for U.N. aid agency OCHA, told CNN from Fiji, about 600 miles away. His agency has had word of much destruction on Efate, the island that houses the capital, where the violent winds around Pam's eye roared through, and from the southern island of Tanna, he said. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH UNICEF: Storm was a 'terrifying' occurrence 03:09 Only a little information has so far trickled out from beyond the capital, but Gudnitz, said that he fears the worst. "Unfortunately, the more that comes out, the worse it looks," said Gudnitz.

"I should say it's really a case of the worst-case scenario for the country and for the people." Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale, who was at a U.N. conference on disaster reduction in Japan on Saturday, appealed for help for his shattered nation. Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A woman sits on a fallen tree among what's left of her garden in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Thursday, March 19, nearly a week after Cyclone Pam ripped through the island nation in the South Pacific. Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale has called the storm a "monster," saying it has set back the development of his country, already one of the poorest in the region, by years. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu People in Port Vila buy supplies ahead of the storm on March 12. Hide Caption 34 of 34 "I am speaking with you today with a heart that is so heavy. I do not really know what impact Cyclone Pam had left on Vanuatu, as there are no confirmed reports as yet," he said.

"I stand to appeal on the behalf of the government and people of Vanuatu to the global community to give a lending hand in responding this very current calamities that have struck us." 'Unbelievable' destruction Pam was the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane before notching down to Category 4 after landfall at 11:23 p.m. Friday local time. CNN's weather center said 155 mph (250 kph) winds blasted the island nation, with gusts up to 200 mph (325 kph). By overnight Saturday, the damage was done. CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera noted that, by then, Pam had passed all the nation's islands and was moving over open water. As it moved over cooler ocean waters away from Vanuatu, the storm further weakened Sunday. It had sustained winds of 132 mph (213 kph), said the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The damage it left behind is "unbelievable," according to the Australian Red Cross. "Humanitarian needs will be enormous," the aid agency tweeted. "Many people have lost their homes. Shelter, food and water (are) urgent priorities.

"A UNICEF Australia post, meanwhile, spoke of "countless homes torn apart, communities in ruin." "It's like a bomb has gone off in the centre of the town," our colleague says. Countless homes torn apart, communities in ruins. #CyclonePam — UNICEF Australia (@unicefaustralia) March 14, 2015 But the airport in Port Vila has been damaged and it's not clear when it will be able to reopen to allow relief flights to land. The U.N. aid agency hopes to get its first team on the ground with vital aid on Sunday, Gudnitz said. Vanuatu's remote location won't help the international response. Port Vila is more than 1,100 miles northeast of Brisbane on Australia's east coast, and some 1,375 miles north of Auckland, the closest city in New Zealand. Until international teams can get in, it will be up to humanitarian agency staffers on the ground and the local communities themselves to do what they can among the wreckage. Many people will be spending another night in emergency shelters. Trees piled high At least they won't have to face the horrors of the height of the storm.

At that point, Alice Clements was cowering under a bathroom sink. "But all what I could think about during that time is the people who might be literally clinging to coconut trees for their lives, and trying to hold on in those horrific winds," the UNICEF spokeswoman said. . @UNICEFPacific Alice Clements shared this extremely emotional update from the heart of #CyclonePam last night: — UNICEF New Zealand (@UNICEFNZ) March 14, 2015 There's no power in the whole of Vanuatu, Clements said, making it impossible for people to recharge their cell phones to call in. The water supply is also cut off, adding to people's difficulties. Another UNICEF staffer in Port Vila, Andrew Parker, told CNN that he'd been through many cyclones, but this one "just went on and on forever." The winds and rain only started to subside about 1 or 2 p.m. on Saturday, he said, having raged since 5 p.m. on Friday.

Port Vila alone ended up with about 9 inches (230 mm) of rain in a 36-hour period, which is 70% of its rainfall for the month. Only one cell phone tower was still standing in the whole of the archipelago, in Port Vila, according to Parker. Vanuatu has officially declared a state of emergency due to devastation caused by Pam, opening the door for other countries -- like Britain, which is already offering almost $3 million -- to help. "Port Vila looks like an absolute bomb has hit it," World Vision emergency specialist Chloe Morrison said. Trees blocked the path of Morrison's vehicle as she drove around the capital. "They've fallen across in piles so high in some places you can barely see over the top," she said. Strongest since Haiyan Pam is the South Pacific's second strongest cyclone since record-keeping began in 1970. And it's the strongest of any type since Super Typhoon Haiyan smashed the Philippines in 2013, obliterating parts of Leyte. That earlier storm shattered homes and trees into match sticks, and killed more than 6,000 people.

Vanuatu, which lies east of Australia, is an archipelago comprising 83 small islands, about 65 of them inhabited and many remote and lacking infrastructure. People away from the capital live much like their ancestors did generations ago. Homes are built of weaker materials, including straw and corrugated steel, and may have had little stamina against Pam's raging winds. "This is often a tropical paradise island and a lot of these houses are what you would expect on an island. They are thatched roofs and thatched walls, and just not able to withstand a Category 5," Morrison said. "We've seen villages literally blown away." Villages 'literally blown away' Pam "left no island untouched," Morrison added. "And the devastation that will be on those smaller, remote islands -- I can't even imagine it." "Once we start looking further afield from Port Vila, we are going to see more destruction because the houses there would be in a much different condition from what we have in Port Vila," Gudnitz said.

"It's a disaster, there's no other way to describe it, really." The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, said it was still waiting to hear from all its team in Vanuatu. Five have not been accounted for on Pentecost Island and five on Malakula Island, presumably unable to communicate because cellular networks are down, the organization said. Field staff have reported that even families whose homes had survived two previous cyclones lost them during Pam. "Families are trying to gather as much as they can," said Mark LeRoux, the organization's Vanuatu country director. "Even sturdy houses didn't make it -- walls and roofs came down." Published Mar 15 2015 03:52 PM EDT weather.com Cyclone Pam made a direct hit -- packing Category 5 winds -- on March 13 in the Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, including the capital city of Port Vila. This will likely be one of the worst natural disasters in the island chain's history. (MORE: Cyclone Pam Latest News ) As of early Monday morning local time (15 hours ahead of U.S.

Eastern Daylight Time), Pam continued to weaken as it moved to the southeast well away from Vanuatu, and the Joint Warning Typhoon Center issued its final advisory for the cyclone. At the height of its strength, during the evening to late night hours on March 13 (local time), Cyclone Pam produced winds as high as 165 mph, making it the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane during its closes approach to the islands. The western edge of the eye of Cyclone Pam scraped the eastern edge of Efate island, including the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila (population 44,000), at about 11 p.m. Friday night, local time. One satellite estimate from the University of Wisconsin suggested Pam's central pressure may have been as low as 890 millibars. Another estimate Friday morning, U.S. time had a lower pressure (879 millibars). In general, the lower the central pressure, the stronger the tropical cyclone.

The University of Wisconsin estimate is lower (stronger) than all but two Atlantic hurricanes all-time (Wilma '05: 882 millibars and Gilbert '88: 888 millibars). The all-time lowest pressure measured on the Earth's surface was in Super Typhoon Tip (870 millibars) in October 1979. Without reconnaissance aircraft to provide a direct measurement, we'll never know the actual lowest central pressure of Cyclone Pam. According to data from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, Port Vila may have been spared the absolute worst-case scenario. BOM wind data showed a peak gust of 60 mph at 12:51 a.m. Saturday local time (9:51 a.m. EDT Friday in the U.S.). This came about an hour after the pressure bottomed out at 942.1 millibars there. Water levels peaked about 2 feet above normal tide levels, according to the BOM gauge at Port Vila. (INTERACTIVE MAP: Vanuatu ) The Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office had issued a red alert for the entire island chain.

Keeping in mind storm surge impact is also heavily dependent on the size, as well as the intensity of a tropical cyclone, here is a list of typical Category 5 wind impacts: Some complete building failures. Small utility buildings blown over or away. Severe and extensive window, door damage. Complete destruction of mobile homes. All shrubs, trees, signs blown down. (MORE: The World's Most Vulnerable Cities For Natural Disasters ) The Republic of Vanuatu is an island chain about 1,200 miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia, with a total population of around 224,000. Pam's large circulation had already lead to wave-induced coastal flooding on Vaitupu Island, Tuvalu on March 12, according to storm surge specialist, Dr. Hal Needham (thanks to Weather Underground's Dr. Jeff Masters for passing this along) and The Weather Channel hurricane specialist, Michael Lowry . This was just under 800 miles northeast of the center of Pam at the time. (MORE: Hurricane Central ) Are Category Fives Unusual There?

In reliable records dating to 1970, there have been nine other Category 5 cyclones in the southwest Pacific Ocean basin, according to hurricane specialist, Michael Lowry . Cyclone Ului was the last to do so in March 2010 well west of Vanuatu in the Coral Sea. Based on that, one would expect "about one Cat. 5 (cyclone) every five years" in the southwest Pacific basin, says Lowry. Of course, with no reconnaissance aircraft missions in this part of the world, cyclone intensities are assigned using satellite estimates. The Atlantic basin has not had a single Category 5 hurricane since Hurricane Felix in early September 2007. November through April is the season for tropical cyclones in the southwest Pacific Ocean, called simply "cyclones" there, rather than "hurricanes" or "typhoons". Cyclones Lam and Marcia made landfall in northern Australia in mid-late February. Aid workers scramble to help Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam - CNN.com Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A young boy plays on a destroyed banana plantation in Mele, Vanuatu, on March 19.

Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A nun surveys the damage near Port Vila on March 19. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu People put clothes out to dry near Port Vila on March 19. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu An aid worker treats an injured woman on Tanna Island on Wednesday, March 18. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A child walks through a damaged classroom on Tanna Island on March 19. Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Mercy Watskal holds her week-old granddaughter, Angelina, at the Enima Evacuation Center on Tanna Island on March 19. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Young men take apart a damaged hut on March 19 on Tanna Island. Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Australian doctors help a young girl on the Vanuatu island of Tanna on Wednesday, March 18.

Hide Caption 9 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A man stands under the damaged rooftop of a school in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, on March 18. Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Books recovered from a school are left out to dry in Port Vila on March 18. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A ship sits beached along the shore of Tanna on March 18. Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu An Australian army relief aircraft arrives with supplies at the airport in Tanna on March 18. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Residents clean up debris in Port Vila on Tuesday, March 17. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Children play on March 17 in water among fallen trees near Port Vila.

Hide Caption 15 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Aid is on board a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft headed to Port Vila on Monday, March 16. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Debris from the cyclone is scattered in an area near Port Vila on March 16. Hide Caption 17 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A boy kicks a ball through the ruins of his family home as his father picks through debris on March 16. Hide Caption 18 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A bridge and road that suffered dramatic damage from Cyclone Pam are seen outside Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, on Sunday, March 15. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A resident stands in her badly damaged home outside Port Vila on March 15. Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu An aerial photo taken by CARE Australia on March 15 shows the widespread damage caused by the cyclone in Vanuatu.

Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A resident clears mud and other debris outside homes near Port Vila on March 15. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Residents work amid the debris left by the cyclone outside Port Vila on March 15. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Locals walk past debris in Port Vila on March 15. Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu People walk past debris scattered on a street in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Saturday, March 14. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Damaged boats are seen on Saturday, March 14, in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital. Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Surf pounds the shore as people walk among debris scattered by Cyclone Pam in Port Vila, Vanuatu, March 14. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Residents look through storm damage in Port Villa on March 14.

Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu People move away from the beach March 13 on the island of Kiribati. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu A person walks past flooding near Port Vila on March 13. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Strong winds blow trees as Pam hits Vanuatu on March 13. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Shops are boarded up in Port Vila on Thursday, March 12. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu Preparations are made in Port Vila ahead of the storm on March 12. Hide Caption Photos: Tropical Cyclone Pam hits Vanuatu People in Port Vila buy supplies ahead of the storm on March 12. Hide Caption

Question: Which Island Nation was devastated by cyclone Pam in March 2015?
Answer: VANUATU